Our Eyes
by MyNameIsCAL
Summary: Fang's been disowned by his family and is living with his best friend Max in a NY apartment. After a bad break up, he's looking for love again and meets Iggy in a coffee shop. Will Fang find happiness finally? Or will misfortune strike again? Figgy
1. Chapter 1

**Our Eyes – Chapter 1**

By MyNameIsCAL

**Wrote this a while back and thought I'd finally put it up. Hope it's alright. It's another Figgy fic. Thanks for reading everyone! **

-Fang's POV-

The cold air stung as Max and I walked from the apartment we shared to the corner coffee shop. The last traces of fall were fading away into the sharpness of winter, the leaves now gone from the trees, stores with Christmas displays that seemed to have popped up at the end of September already.

We got our coffee and sat in our usual corner table. She was going on about getting stuck in Alaska last night. Max was an air marshal, and she flew often here and there. I worried about her. She'd only be around for a couple days at a time.

"Did you see Sarah Palin?" I remarked.

She laughed. "No, I didn't see Sarah Palin. I don't even think she was in Alaska when I was there. Don't worry, if I run into her, I'll get you an autograph."

I chuckled. She always humored me. Sometimes she made me question why I was gay. There was only friendship between us though. I could only think of her as my sister.

I remember when I came out to my family in high school. My parents pretty much disowned me and my younger brother, Gazzy, vowed that he would forget I ever existed. Fortunately, my sister, Angel, was always the kind one, and every now and then my brother would give in and take her to visit me, but that was rarely.

So when my family was absent for my last year of high school, through college, and up until now, Max was around for me instead. I'm pretty sure if it weren't for her, I might have jumped off a building or something already. Okay, that's not funny at all, but really, that's how I felt after being rejected by my family. To them, I didn't even really exist. Angel told me my mom would get all mad whenever I was mentioned at home.

"Well, good because I don't want Palin brainwashing you," I said, my eyes wandering around the coffee chop.

"Like I would let that happen…" Max started to go on about other things, but I was distracted by this guy who was sitting at the table behind Max.

His pale blue eyes were unfocused, hand gripped around his coffee cup. I've seen him here recently, always sitting at the same table, his shirt buttons off by one. I wondered whether he was on drugs or if he was just always in a hurry to get his cup of coffee.

"Hey, are you even listening to me?" Max turned, tracing my line of sight. Then she turned back to face me. "Jeez, Fang. He's here all the time. Maybe you should just try talking to him."

I shook my head. Max made everything seem so simple.

"It's been a year since Michael dumped you, Fang. Maybe it's time to move on." She let out a sigh. "Besides, it'd be good if you got out when I'm not around."

Move on? I hated to admit she was right. My feelings towards Michael no longer consisted of butterflies and apprehension. Instead, it was resentment, and although I knew I no longer loved him, it was hard for me to think that I hadn't spent the last three years prior with him, unknowing of his affairs with both men and women. It was devastating when I found him in _my_ bed with another man. Although it wasn't like he treated me well, and Max hated him. I was too blind to notice until the end.

"Look, I'm just saying that it can't hurt." Max took a moment to calculate the rest of her words. "Michael was never good to you anyway, Fang. He didn't deserve you."

"He's probably not even gay, Max." I sipped some of my coffee just to have something to do. It was hard to suppress a wince as it went down.

"You never know." She opened her closed her a mouth a few times and then dropped the subject. "I was just saying."

"I know."

We sat in silence for a little while and then she started to talk about something else, ignoring my stolen glances at the guy sitting behind her. It was his eyes that captivated me, and I was surprised he hadn't caught me staring at him. That was when a woman bustled in, heading directly towards him.

"Iggy, could you at least tell me you were going out?" she frowned, bending down and picking up a red and white cane from the floor. "C'mon, let's get you home."

"I'm not done with my coffee yet," he said quietly.

"Well you can finish it at home. C'mon." She ushered him out and I wondered whether she was his girlfriend or not. Something inside me sunk.

"…so you should pick a place you want to go for your birthday," Max continued. "I'll get the tickets and we can go wherever. You can take a few vacation days, right?"

I took a few seconds to answer. "Yeah, I've got them saved up."

The day dragged on after that with Max's proposition to go on vacation for my birthday and Iggy, whose name I had learned from eavesdropping. I sat in my office, staring at the wall, unable to concentrate on my work. Not that there was much to do. Every now and then I'd step out of my office, intimidate them, and then go back and send a few emails.

I got promoted because I scared people so they'd stop fooling around. It was nice not to have to be one of the number crunchers, but I could hardly see why my job was important at all if all I did was sit around.

Around six, I started to pack up my stuff. The cubicles were starting to empty out now. I locked my office, walking down where the cubicles parted to make a path. Iggy was still on my mind.

The city bustled, but I turned down the street which I lived on, a few taxis passing by. The only people who came down this way were late coffee goers and apartment residents. So when I walked into someone when I turned the corner, it came as a surprise.

"Jeez, I'm sorry!" I grabbed the man to stop him from falling, but he grabbed onto me and we tumbled to the ground. I landed on top of him.

"I'm sorry, I can't see," he said.

When I regained my orientation, I realized that it was Iggy. I managed to roll off of him and get up.

"Here, let me help you up." I put my hand around his wrist, and he managed to stand.

"Thanks." His eyes danced around and for a split second, they seemed to focus on me. Those pale blue eyes. "Hey, do I know you from somewhere?"

"The coffee shop?" I offered. "I see you there every day."

He nodded. "That sounds about right. Your voice is familiar. You're with your girlfriend?"

"She's my roommate. We've been best friends since high school, but uh, yeah, she's not my girlfriend." I shut my mouth. I had said too much already.

"Hey, well, you know I should get you a cup of coffee sometime." He held out his hand. "My name's Iggy by the way."

I shook his hand, feeling relieved. "The name's Nick, but you can call me Fang."

After that, we exchanged our goodbyes, and I hurried home, wondering whether I would tell Max or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**Our Eyes – Chapter 2**

By MyNameIsCAL

For the next month, Iggy and I had coffee every morning. On Sundays, sometimes we could sit in there until Jean, the woman that his parents paid to look after him, would drag him out. Max had been pestering me to make another move or something, but to be honest, I was terrified. Terrified probably because I didn't want to get hurt again.

An opportunity arose though one morning when I was looking at the bulletin board by the exit of the apartment building. There was a flyer for a cooking class, sitting right in the middle with a blue pushpin. _Mondays, 8 o'clock_. And it was taught by the head chef from that restaurant down the street I really liked.

"It's a great class."

I turned to see the woman who lived across the hall from me standing, looking up at it too.

"Is it?" I inquired.

She nodded. "He puts you in pairs. It's probably better you go with someone you know though. I did make a new friend though."

I assumed it must have been her boyfriend. Every now and then, I'd seem them on the way out, or into the apartment when I was coming back from work.

"Maybe I'll go then," I said. "Thanks."

After standing there for a few more seconds, I made my way out. The weather forecast called for snow, and there was no doubt it was coming. You could feel it in the crispness of the air.

I couldn't stand to wait around for Iggy, so I got our coffee and took our usual seat. He came in, his shirt buttons always off by one, scarf hastily wrapped around his neck. After pausing for a moment at the door, he started towards the table and sat across from me.

"Good morning!" He gave me one of his infamous smiles.

I pushed his coffee across the table. "I'm hoping it'll snow soon so I won't have to be at work for long."

Iggy laughed. "Ah, I don't think I could stand to be cooped up inside with Jean all day. I think she's had it with me."

"Well, you know, I saw this flyer today," I took in a breath, "For a cooking class. My neighbor said it was good, that we do everything in pairs. It's on Monday nights at eight, starting next week until February."

"That sounds great," he nodded. "You going to go with Max?"

"No, I was thinking you and me." I searched his face for any signs of him being uninterested. "I thought maybe you'd like to get out."

"Then I'd love to go with you." His eyes seemed to find mine.

"I get off work at six. Maybe we can go get dinner or something." I was definitely getting ahead of myself now.

"Sure. I'm sure Jean will abandon me to go out with her friends. You know, my mom keeps asking me if I've taken her anywhere. Jean's not really my type though. She's careless, but only because she's ignorant." He smirked. "And she's only in it for the money. I'm pretty sure she's got like a new boyfriend every week. It's like she's a high school student or something still."

"And your parents are okay with this?"

He leaned back in his chair. "Well, my dad would have her gone in a minute. But my mom would never let me live here alone, and I couldn't anyways. They'd make me go back to California. They just want me to be happy though."

It was so hard not to reach out and take his hand, to lean my leg against his under the table. And there hadn't been any reason to lead me to believe that he wasn't stringing me along, or that he wasn't, well, aware of how I felt about him. I mean, he couldn't quite possibly just make this all out to me looking for a friend to have coffee with.

We parted, and I had to run to work, just making it in time. The snow started up after my lunch break, and I was back home by four. It was Thursday, and the rest of the weekend would seem like a lifetime until Monday.

* * *

><p>Monday at work dragged on, even though I had still met Iggy for coffee in the morning. Sometimes when I got bored at work, I'd text Max. But she was out of the country in Paris, so it wasn't like I could even talk to her.<p>

As soon as six arrived, I bolted out and to my apartment. I showered, and then tidied up a little. Iggy said Jean would bring him around seven. Max would probably be proud of me, dressing a little nice than usual.

I paced by the door until security buzzed that they were here. A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Without checking who it was, I opened the door.

"Hey, Fang." Iggy smiled right away. "This is Jean. Jean, this is Fang."

She looked annoyed.

"Alright, Jean. I don't know when I'll be home," he said, letting out a breath of exasperation. "But I'm sure you have plans, so don't worry about being back for me."

"Okay, bye, Iggy." She trudged off down the hall.

Leading Iggy inside, I asked him what kind of food he liked. He told me he'd eat anything.

"Well, take out or we can go out," I said as we sat on the couch.

"Take out sounds good. I'm not much up for walking right now. It's a little cold out there."

I went and ordered the food in the kitchen before returning to the couch. Iggy had taken his jacket off, draping it over the arm of the couch. His buttons were still off, and I wondered why Jean didn't care to tell him to fix it.

"This is a pretty big apartment," he commented, unaware of me staring at him.

I heard myself agree before finally sitting next to him.

"So what's up?" he asked.

"You know, right?" I blurted out.

"Know what?" He raised an eyebrow.

"That I'm gay."

"You think I'd lead you on after all this time, Fang?"

"N-no…"

"You skirt around your past, Fang. You hardly talk about your family, and when I bring it up, you're either lying or leaving something out. Which, I mean, is fine with me. It's none of my business. But what are you so afraid of?"

Before I could answer, the buzzer rang, and I practically jumped off the couch. We ate, our conversation casual and comfortable, but not a minute went by without me thinking of an answer to his question.


	3. Chapter 3

**Our Eyes – Chapter 3**

By MyNameIsCAL

I only cooked a little. The same three boring recipes I defaulted to when Max and I were too tired to out and sick of ordering delivery. The fact that Iggy could do everything from cutting to stirring ingredients better than me made feel ashamed.

"I promise you I won't cut my finger off," he told me. "Just worry about your own stuff."

Hesitantly, I began to chop up my own garlic.

The final product was a juicy steak with buttery mashed potatoes. Everyone in the class at down at this long table, the head chef sitting at the end, telling us all what a good job we had done for our first class. He told us that he started us off with one of his favorite recipes, but that we'd be starting from the beginning next week, creating appetizers, soups, and salads.

We ate, talking a little to the others. Actually, between the two of us, Iggy did the most talking. He introduced us as just friends, although I'm pretty sure everyone else saw through that. There were two other couples, a husband and wife, two sisters, and two strangers who seemed to be getting along pretty well for just meeting. I felt Iggy press his leg up against mine under the table, and he was smiling when I glanced at him.

It was snowing when we stepped outside. Iggy's hand brushed up against mine and I took it, on a whim.

"You're not using your cane," I commented.

He laughed. "I'm very drawn to you, quite literally. I didn't think I need it. And well, I quite enjoyed tonight, thank you."

We walked on for a little longer. "Did you want to stop at my place for some coffee?"

"I'd love to. Jean won't miss me, I promise."

The snow was getting heavier as we entered into the lobby of the apartment complex. Jim, the security guard, tipped his hat to me as he buzzed us in.

After getting our jackets and shoes off, we stood in the entrance of my apartment for a moment. Iggy's eyes always had a way of finding mine. They were entrancing in a way. Maybe that was how he was able to lean forward and kiss me. I tensed up at first, but not because I didn't want him too. It was just so unexpected, especially after he had taken me telling him that I was gay very well. I wasn't expecting things to move this fast.

"Shall we forget about coffee?" I asked, pulling him closer.

I felt his lips smile against mine. "Yes, let's."

* * *

><p>Michael and I met at a bar. We probably had too much to drink and I ended up bringing him back to my apartment off campus where we had a one night stand. I should have known that him leaving without a note or saying anything was already a sign the relationship was doomed.<p>

And when I woke with Iggy's arms still around me, a wave of relief rushed through me.

"Fang?" he murmured.

"Yes, Ig?"

"Don't you have to go to work?"

"I'll call in sick." I turned to face him. "Isn't Jean going to look for you?"

He closed his eyes. "I don't know. Probably not. Do you think you could find my phone?"

I found his pants hanging off the edge of his bed.

"There's a text," I told him.

"Just read it to me."

"She says she had too much to drink and that she's crashing at a friend's place."

"Tell her to text me when she's heading back to the apartment." He let out a yawn, pulling me back down next to him. "Chances are she won't make it home 'til dinner."

"Is that so?" I lay there for a few minutes. "I've got to call work. I'll be right back."

He let me go after another moment and I made my way through the hall and to the front door. Just as I found my phone in my jacket, the door opened.

"Fang?"

I froze. All I had on were my boxers. One of the things I promised Max when we agreed to share an apartment together was that I wouldn't walk around without clothes on.

"Whoa—" She dropped her bag.

"Uhm…I can explain…"

And then Iggy came meandering out of my bedroom wearing _my shirt_.

"Oh, uhm, hi, Iggy." Max leaned back against the door and then let out a laugh. "Jeez, Fang. You didn't call me when I didn't come home last night. And I called you a couple times. I thought something happened to you."

"Oh, uh…"

"No it's fine. I'm glad you're okay." She gave me an amused smile. "Well, I'm starving. How about we try to make some breakfast?"

"Hey, I can cook something," Iggy piped up.

Max let out a laugh. "Please. The last time I tried to make eggs, Fang had to pull out the fire extinguisher. Why don't you two go put some clothes on first though."

"Right." Iggy turned, standing for a moment. I took his hand and led him back to my bedroom.

I pulled clothes on and handed Iggy his pants. It took a moment for him to orient himself. He sat on the bed and pulled them on and then stood again.

"Here, lemme fix your shirt."

"Wha—Oh, yeah." He let out a laugh. "Jean doesn't really care how I look and well, I try my best."

I undid his buttons and then started from the bottom up. He was smiling when I looked up at him.

PAGE BREAK!

The Christmas season came as it did every year. More people were aggravated and the nonstop commercials with all the stupid holiday song jingles overtook the TV airwaves. Max and I weren't fans of Christmas, but we usually went to spend a few days with her parents in New Jersey. To be honest, they were better parents to me than my own.

Iggy told me that he had to accompany Jean to visit her parents in Connecticut, so I wouldn't be seeing him for at least a week. It was going to be strange not seeing him every day.

On the bright side, rumor had it I was up for a promotion at work. Which meant I could work from home and spend more time with Iggy.

My birthday was two days sbefore Christmas. Apparently I wasn't supposed to be born until New Year's and perhaps that's why my mother never gave me much of a celebration for my birthday. I think she was upset she didn't get to be in the local paper or anything. I always thought it was kinda dumb.

Iggy apologized profusely that he was missing my birthday, but I told him not to worry about it. The only reason I ever bothered to celebrate it was because of Max. She always made it a point to be back on my birthday and get me a cake. I guess because I usually did it for her too.

I didn't feel any different being older. It sounds like something a little kid would say, but it really was just another day. Max treated me to coffee and then I went to work. As usual, no one paid any attention to me.

At my desk, I sat doing paperwork for most of the day. The knock on the door startled me and I rose to see _my boss_ waiting.

"Can I help you, sir?"

He cleared his throat. "Sit down for a minute. We need to talk."

I sat back down and he closed the door before taking a seat across from me.

"We're letting you go, Nick."

What?

"Nick, hey, do you hear me? You have to pack your things and get out of here. I'm firing you."

"Wh-why?"

"We're consolidating the company. I'm doing you a favor. I tried to fight to keep you, but they told me no. You'll be able to get unemployment benefits. I'm sure you'll find something else. A lot of people could use someone like you."

I stared at him.

"Please, don't make a big scene out of this. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to announce to everyone else on this floor that they can't come back next week."

He left me sitting there staring. It took me a good ten minutes to let that sink in. At least it wasn't because of anything I had done, but still I felt betrayed. I shoved everything into my bag and hurried out without another word to anyone. In the elevator, I started to dial Iggy's number, but he didn't answer.

It was freezing and I couldn't bear to walk back to my apartment, so I hailed a taxi and sat through half an hour of traffic instead of taking the ten minute walk.

Max opened the door before I could get my keys out. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she saw the expression on my face.

"What's wrong, Fang?"

"I…I just got fired."

She pulled me into a hug and said nothing else. I remembered back to the day I told her about my parents wanting to disown me. She had done the same exact thing, and it was all I needed to feel better.

"Happy birthday," she said quietly after we broke apart. "There's a surprise in the kitchen for you. It'll cheer you up."

I let out a sigh. "I'm not really hungry, Max."

"C'mon, Fang. Go to the kitchen." She began to drag me down the small hall. When she finally pulled me into the kitchen, I saw that it wasn't food she was talking about.

"Iggy, I thought you were…"

He cut me off. "I'm leaving tomorrow, you idiot. Do you think I'd really miss your birthday?"

I felt myself smile as he pulled me into an embrace. As I rested me chin onto his shoulder, my eyes fell onto the archway that led to the other hall.

"Angel?"

She gave me a smile. "Hey, Fang. Long time no see!"

They had to force me into a chair after that because I was overwhelmed. I soon forgot I no longer had a job.

"Mom and Dad think I'm visiting Gazzy and I made him promise that if they called him he'd say that I was with him," Angel explained as we started to eat dinner that Iggy and her cooked. "And don't bother scolding me because I told Max I was coming. She's letting me stay the night and then I'm actually going to visit Gazzy. He'll bring me home for Christmas."

"How are Mom and Dad?" I asked.

She shrugged. "The same as always. A neighbor asked about you the other day and Mom actually said that they weren't talking to you anymore because you were gay. I think it was Mrs. Shepherd. But I told her that you were doing alright and that you had a job. She didn't seem to think much about what Mom said."

"And Gazzy?"

"Oh he's doing fine. He has a girlfriend now. Well, to be honest it seems likes he changing. He says he wants to talk to you again. Mom and Dad keep asking if he's seen you since you're both in the city and he tells them he hasn't even talked to you. Gazzy's afraid they'll stop paying for college."

"And what would they do if they found out you were here?" I frowned.

"You'd let me live here, right, Fang?"

"Angel…"

"C'mon, stop worrying. It's your birthday, Fang," Iggy remarked.

"I was only kidding, you know." Angel gave me a small smile.

I let a smile slip in return.


	4. Chapter 4

**Our Eyes – Chapter 4**

By MyNameIsCAL

It was almost midnight and Jean had finally come to get Iggy. We were sitting in the TV room talking when Jean came knocking on the door. I helped Iggy to the door.

"I'll see you when I get back," Iggy told me. "Thanks for having me over, Max! It was nice to meet you too, Angel."

Max and Angel exchanged goodbyes and then Iggy turned back to me. I helped him put his jacket on.

"And one more thing," he said, grinning.

Before I could do anything, he pulled me into a kiss. I settled my arms around his neck.

"Happy birthday, Fang," he laughed.

"Are you sure you can't stay?"

He rustled my hair. "Fang, we'd give Angel the wrong idea."

I rolled my eyes and he opened the door. Jean didn't even say hello before she started to drag him down the hallway. Sighing, I watched them turn the corner before I closed the door.

"You know, I like him, Fang," Angel commented. "He's perfect for you."

"You think so?" I turned, trying to suppress a smile. "Well, thanks, Angel. Glad to have your approval."

She only smiled in return, but I knew she was thinking back to Michael.

"Hey, it's late," Max yawned. "You better go to bed, Angel. We've got to wake up early tomorrow."

"Hey, thanks for everything you two!" I sunk into the couch. "Goodnight, Angel."

"You know, not having a job might not be a bad thing at all," Max told me. "You'll get to spend more time with Iggy. We can finally take that vacation too."

I let out a sigh. "I know."

She ruffled my hair, something she used to do when we were younger when I was short and she was tall. "You better get to bed too. We've got to leave at eight so we can drop Angel off at Gazzy's place."

I nodded and watched her go before I got up and headed to my room.

* * *

><p>To my surprise, Gazzy was waiting for Angel at the edge of the campus. He was standing with an African American girl, his arm around her.<p>

"That's Gazzy's girlfriend," Angel told us.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I know. Look, I'll see you later after Christmas. Like I said, Gazzy keeps saying he wants to talk to you, so maybe I'll leave it to him to explain." Angel opened the car door. "Thanks for everything you two!"

We watched Angel walk towards them. I caught Gazzy's eye and he raised his hand. Hesitantly, I held up mine. Gazzy changed? I really hoped so. I always knew that deep down inside he hated our parents, but he just couldn't ever bring himself to be the rebel after seeing how they had treated me.

"Fang, your phone is ringing," Max said.

I put the car back into park and pulled it out of the cup holder. "Hello?"

"Hey, Fang?"

"Iggy?"

He sounded relieved. "I'm glad I remembered your number. I called some other guy and he didn't sound too happy I dialed the wrong number."

"You don't have your cell phone?"

There was a pause. "Look, I know you're probably halfway to Jersey already, but I was wondering if you could come pick me up from the hospital."

"The hospital?"

"Nah, I'm totally fine, Fang."

"I haven't left the city yet. Where are you?"

He gave me the name of the hospital down the street from here.

"I'll be there in ten minutes."

When I entered the hospital, they directed me upstairs to the recovery ward. Iggy was standing with his back to the doorway, trying to button his shirt.

"Iggy?"

He turned and smiled. I felt my legs move me toward him, and before I could say anything else, I had my arms around him.

"Hey, I'm ok, see." Iggy squeezed me. "Just got a little roughed up."

I pulled away to see that he had a wrist brace. He quietly told me that one of Jean's boyfriends had gotten the wrong idea and had tried to beat him up.

"How'd you get here?" I frowned.

"I don't know. I woke up here."

"Jesus," I muttered. "Here, lemme fix your buttons."

He was still smiling at me though, and I felt myself relax a little, smiling back.

"Now, will you get me out of here, please?"

"Of course." I took his hand.

We were just about to leave the room when a man in a shirt and tie stepped in. He adjusted his glasses. I loosened my grip on Iggy's hand, but he held on.

"Bill, I've already heard enough from you," Iggy frowned.

The man let out a sigh. "Iggy, your mom…"

"This isn't up for discussion anymore. I told you already I'm not interested. I don't care what my mom says. And I'm not willing to take the risk. I'm perfectly happy with the way I am."

"You're making a mistake," Bill said. "I know I can fix your eyesight."

"I will not be your guinea pig."

"That's not what you're going to be."

"My mom wants the best for both of us. You know that, Bill. She's shelled out thousands of dollars for your research, but she doesn't get that I don't want what she wants for me. Don't you have better things to work on? Forget about my blindness. I don't _want_ to see."

Bill turned on his heel and left without another word.

Iggy let out a sigh. "Remind me to call my parents when we're somewhere quiet."

I nodded and started to move forward, but he didn't follow me.

"What's wrong, Ig?"

He shook his head. "My parents raised Bill when his parents died. They died in the accident that blinded me. Bill blames himself for it. For his parents' death and for me being blind. It drove him to be a doctor, to fix me, all supported by my mother. The reason I moved so far away from my parents was to avoid her forcing me to become some kind of test subject. Unfortunately, Bill followed me here. He only wants to please my mom. He feels he owes her."

"You really don't want to be able to see?" I asked.

"No. Not being able to see…it's kind of become a part of me. It's who I am and I'm comfortable. One of the biggest things I learned from the accident was acceptance. I can function this way, you know. I don't know if I'd ever adjust to seeing again. Bill and my mom don't understand, I interpret the world on a whole different level since I can't see. I wouldn't be able to give it up. I don't think it's worth it."

"I'm sorry, Ig."

"Don't be." He squeezed my hand. "Now let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Putting this note at the end of all my chapters for the next week or so. Sorry if you've seen it already: I finished Nevermore. I thought it was a brilliant ending for the series, but I won't go into much detail now. If anyone wants to share thoughts, feel free to message me.<strong>

**But yeah, the series is over. It's a lot of emotions, but most of them good and some of them bittersweet. I feel that there's still a lot more to be said in the fanfiction universe about this series, so as long as people are still reading, I'll still be writing. New ideas are spinning already.**

**Until my next update! Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Our Eyes – Chapter 5**

By MyNameIsCAL

I didn't want to burden Max's parents with Iggy, but they insisted he was welcomed. We had just pulled into the driveway and the front door burst open, the silhouettes of Max's parents emerging through the doorway. I was always greeted warmly here. I mean, this place was home to me.

Iggy was a little overwhelmed by meeting Max's parents. He was tired too, I could tell. After Max's parents insisted they get our bags, I led Iggy inside. We passed through the hallway filled with pictures of Max, Ari, and me. I guess I've neglected to mention Ari to you. Ari is Max's older brother. He was in the army, and Max and her family hadn't heard from him since he shipped out to Afghanistan months ago. They hadn't informed us of his death, so we just hoped for the best that he was on some secret mission.

Most of the pictures were of Max and I towards the end of the hallway. They went in chronological order, and that was when I had practically lived out of this house. There was even one of us going to prom. She had asked me to go with her, actually. Back then, everyone thought we were a couple, and sometimes I wondered if she had feelings for me still and that if it hurt her to see me with Iggy. After all, when we were small and naïve, we had kissed and said we'd get married. You know, like little kids do.

Dinner was almost ready in the kitchen. I guided Iggy into a chair and sat next to him.

"It seems nice here," he commented.

"This is home for me," I replied. "Max's parents are practically my own."

Max ruffled my hair. "It's good to be home."

"It's good that everyone's home," a voice said behind us.

We all turned around.

"Ari!" Max flew towards him.

Ari managed to wrap his arms around her, but I realized he had his weight on Max now.

"Max…you're gonna have to let me sit down."

She let go of him and moved away. Ari leaned heavily on a set of forearm crutches. I pulled out a chair for him next to me and he gave me a brief smile, but he looked exhausted.

"Fang, it's good to see you." He clapped me on the shoulder. Then he stuck his hand out in Iggy's direction. "You must be Iggy. My parents told me a little about you. It's nice to finally meet you."

To my surprise, Iggy shook his hand.

Max sat on Ari's other side. "Ari, what happened to you?"

He swallowed. "It was a bomb. Except they thought it was biochemical and they quarantined me for months. I had barely spent a week in Afghanistan. But it was just a bomb. The doctors say I'll probably never be able to walk unaided, but you know that's alright with me."

"Ari…" Max looked like she might cry.

Ari forced himself to smile. "Don't cry, Max. I'm going to be okay."

She bit her lip and then smiled back.

* * *

><p>Christmas meant a lot of cooking at Max's house, which also meant a last minute trip to the grocery store. I was sitting in the car with Ari watching all the people go by. The hard thing about coming to visit Max's parents was that I couldn't really go out. People would talk and my parents would hear.<p>

"I still can't believe your parents." Ari pressed his head against the window. "I should have punched your father in the face that one time."

I laughed. "That time you picked me up when I was sitting on the curb because I was too embarrassed to come to your house again? And then when you stopped to pick me up he tore out of the house and tried to hit you?"

He nodded. "I should have knocked him out."

"He still wouldn't have learned his lesson."

"Maybe I'd be better off."

I didn't understand.

"Look, Fang," he began. "You know, maybe they would have put me in jail and I'd still be able to walk now."

"Don't say that, Ari."

"I called my girlfriend yesterday. Well, I guess she's my ex now. She wasn't even happy to hear from me."

"Ari, I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "You're right, Fang. It's just not fair."

I would have said more, but my cell phone began to ring. It was Iggy.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I held my breath.

"I lost Max," he said. "There's too many people here."

"Just stay where you are…"

"Fang, I'll go find him." Ari opened the car door.

He was gone before I could protest.

"Ari's coming for you, just hold tight."

"Thanks."

A few minutes later I saw Iggy and Ari emerge from the grocery store. They stood at the curb, waiting for the crosswalk to clear of cars.

_Knock, knock_.

I almost jumped out of my seat.

"Fang!"

I rolled down the window. "Jeez, Angel, you scared me."

"Max said I'd find you here." She gave me a sheepish grin.

"What're you doing here?"

"I'm coming home with you. Merry Christmas, by the way."

"Max wasn't kidding when she said a surprise." I unlocked the car. "Get in here. It's cold out."

I glanced back at Iggy and Ari. Ari was leaning up against the wall of the grocery store.

"Hey, hold on I'll be right back." I got out of the car and started across the parking lot towards them.

Iggy had his hand around Ari's arm, trying to hold him up. I started to sprint. It wasn't until I reached them that I saw my father.

"You!" My father growled.

I ignored him. "Ari, what happened?"

Ari was breathing in and out heavily. "Your father hit me with his shopping cart."

"You were walking too slow," he mumbled.

"Maybe you should watch where you're going!" Ari tried to stand, but his legs buckled and I had to grab him.

And that was when my father threw a punch. It hit Ari square in the face and he crumpled in my arms.

"HEY! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

A cop was here now, handcuffing my father.

"I called an ambulance," the cop said.

I watched as the cop hauled my father off as he spewed curses at me.

"I'm sorry, Ari." I shut my eyes. "This is my fault."


	6. Chapter 6

**Our Eyes – Chapter 6**

By MyNameIsCAL

My father had marred the rest of Christmas. We ended spending it at the hospital with Ari. They discharged him the day after Christmas, but by then, none of us were much in the mood to celebrate. Max's parents already had to go back to work. They were doctors at the hospital.

Ari looked awful. His eye was still black and he was stuck in bed, not allowed to watch TV or do anything else that was taxing on the brain. He had pulled some muscles in one of his legs when he had tried to get away from my father. The pain was wearing him out, his mother said, but he didn't want to take the painkillers unless he had too. He was afraid he would get hooked.

I wanted to go back home, but Ari was the one who convinced me to stay.

"I'd take a punch for you any day," Ari had tried to joke. "Besides, it wouldn't be Christmas without you."

"Ari…"

"I mean it." He clapped me on the arm. "And we had to check out this Iggy guy, you know. I like him."

I smiled, in spite of myself.

"That's more like it. Now push me to the kitchen."

Just as I got into the kitchen, the doorbell rang. Max said she'd get it, and then a few seconds later she called me over. I came through the doorway to see Gazzy and Angel.

"Hey, Fang." Gazzy gave me a nervous smiled. "Look, I know things between us haven't been the greatest because of Mom and Dad."

"Yeah, well you took their side." As much as I wanted to accept Gazzy back, I didn't want to make it easy. It only seemed fair after all the pain my parents had put me through.

"I know…Look, I know this doesn't make up for anything. I should have been there with you, I just…I need their support for college. Is that so wrong? I mean, I guess they tried to raise us to think a certain way, and now that I've had freedom I realize it's fucked up." He held out a small box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. "I'm sorry, I really am. I wish I could take it all back. All the horrible things I said to you when we were kids. Maybe we can have dinner together sometime in the city, if you're up to it…"

"I'd like that," I assured him, taking the box. "Maybe it'll be like starting over."

He looked relieved. "Starting over. Yeah, I like that idea."

I gave him a small smile and stuck out my hand. He shook it firmly.

"Look, I gotta, um, go pick up Dad. Tell Ari I'm sorry too, alright? Anyways, Angel's staying here for dinner. I'll see you then."

"Yeah, see ya." I waved and he hurried out the door.

Angel closed the door behind him. "I actually have no idea what that is. He didn't even tell me he was planning to come talk to you today."

Gazzy, who my parents thought was perfect, was finally seeing my side?

We went into the kitchen where Iggy and Ari were waiting for us.

The box was filled with a couple of things. The biggest thing was a laptop. There were some other accessories: an extra charging cable, a mouse, and a USB flashdrive. Then there was another wrapped box. I opened it and it was a watch. There was a note rolled up inside:

_Fang,_

_I'm sure you remember this watch. I stole it out of your stuff once Mom and Dad kicked you out of the house. Angel salvaged most of your stuff, and we had a big fight over this. I sold it for some money, and the other day I went into this second hand shop and saw it on the shelf. I know it probably sounds stupid, but I took it as a sign that I needed to set things right with you. Anyways, I also bought the watch and here it is. I got it repaired and cleaned._

_Merry Christmas!_

_Gazzy_

I took the watch out of the box and turned it over. It really was the same watch. Engraved with my name on the inside. Max's parents had actually gotten it for me.

"Wow, isn't that something?" Ari murmured.

"No kidding." I put the watch on. "Jeez, I never thought I'd see this again."

* * *

><p>Ari had gracefully decided not to press charges against my father. Angel told us he was pretty mad that the press had painted him as the bad guy. Although once Ari refused to be interviewed, the local press didn't publish anything more.<p>

We left the day after New Year's. Max had a flight to catch the next day, or we would have stayed longer.

"Ari, as soon as I have a few days off I'm gonna come visit again," Max promised as she hugged him goodbye. "I missed you so much."

Ari squeezed her back. "You better."

I was gonna shake Ari's hand, but he pulled me into a hug.

"You say the word and I'll go knock your father out," he joked.

"Oh, I wish." I let out a laugh. "Look, even if Max isn't around, if you wanna get out of the house I'll come pick you up and take you to the city, or anywhere. Just let me know."

"When I can walk again, you can count on it." He turned to Iggy. "And you, sir! Don't tell our mom, but your lasagna was the best I ever had. I'm really glad I got to meet you."

"Thanks for having me over." Iggy looked a little embarrassed. "Beats spending Christmas with my family."

Ari and Max exchanged a few more words and then we were off. Ari had waved at us until we turned the corner. Max looked a little teary eyed.

"We'll be seeing him before you know it," I assured her.

"I know," she managed to say. "I know."

* * *

><p>"Hey, Dad. Have you heard from Jean?"<p>

I woke up to see Iggy pacing around my room with one of my shirts on. Maybe it was his phone that had woke me up.

"No? I didn't think so. Look, I didn't want to call you during Christmas because I knew mom would worry." Iggy let out a breath. "I know. No, I'm not staying alone. I have a place now. I'm staying with a friend."

There was a pause as he listened to his father.

"No, I don't want to go back to California, Dad." He sat down on the end of the bed with his back to me. "No, you haven't met him. We met at the coffee shop I go to every morning."

There was a longer pause.

"Dad, he's my boyfriend, ok? I trust him. If you wanna come to New York, I'll introduce you, but I am not coming back to California." Iggy sounded exasperated now. "And yes, I think you'd like him."

There was a shorter pause.

"Of course I was planning to tell you." He let out a sigh. "Sure, sure. I'll talk to you later. Tell Mom I said hi. Bye, Dad."

Iggy hung up and then lay back down next to me. "I think you're going to have to meet my parents."

I looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I guess that's exciting then."

"Don't worry, they won't be like your parents. They live in California, after all," he chuckled.

I hoped so.


End file.
